Drive mechanism for pumps

Abstract

In a drive device for pumps consisting of a pump impeller mounted in a pump chamber, a pump cover covers the pump chamber and has an extension and a bore passing from the pump chamber to the outside. A shaft is connected at its inner end to the pump impeller and at its outer end in a torsion-proof manner by way of a coupling element to a drive wheel. A bearing supports the shaft and drive wheel in the housing bore and extension respectively. The coupling element is formed by an external edge rigidly connected to the drive wheel and covers the outer bearing and the extension laterally on the outside. A cover plate with a center section connects in a torsion-proof manner to the shaft, and is adjusted to elastically adjust the cover plate relative to the pump cover either inward toward the pump chamber or outward away from the pump chamber, thereby providing for automatic adjustment of the radial and axial load-supporting bearings means to remove their play.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. The combination comprising a pump impeller (1) mounted in a pump chamber (2), a pump cover (5) covering the pump chamber (2) having a extension (8) and a bore (9) passing from the pump chamber to the outside, and a shaft (3) connected at its inner end to the pump impeller (1) and at its outer end to a drive wheel (4), first and second bearing means supporting said shaft and drive wheel in the housing bore and extension respectively, coupling element means for connecting one of said bearing means and said shaft in a torsion proof manner, and an adjusting means (22, 26, 38, 45, 65,) operable to elastically adjust or effect displacement of said pump cover (5) and said coupling element relative to one another to thereby provide means for automatic adjustment of the radial and axial loads, thereby effecting displacement of the inner and outer rings of the first and second bearings means to thereby remove play. 
     
     
       2. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein at least one bearing means (14, 57) is provided for radial and axial support on the lateral surface of the extension (8) of the pump cover (5) and wherein each inner bearing (10, 51) has a seat or bearing surface which permits an axial displacement of the shaft (3) and wherein the cover plate (17) and the pump impeller (1) are fixed axially to the shaft (3), said adjusting means being formed by at least one compression spring (22, 65), which acts between a shoulder surface (24) of the housing bore (9) of the pump cover (5) pointing axially toward the pump chamber (2) and an end surface (25, 70) of the pump impeller (1) facing away from the pump chamber (2), and which is operable to adjust the cover plate (17) by way of the pump impeller (1) and the shaft (3) axially toward the pump chamber (2). 
     
     
       3. Drive device according to claim 2, wherein an outer bearing ring (11) of at least one inner bearing (10) is mounted in the housing bore (9) between the shoulder surface (24) of the housing (9) and the compression spring(s) (22). 
     
     
       4. Drive device according to claim 2, wherein said compression spring(s) (22) opposes a sealing ring (24) which is axially adjustable in the housing bore (9) of the pump cover (5) and which slides on an opposing end surface (25) of the pump impeller (1). 
     
     
       5. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder surface of the outer end of the shaft (3) facing the pump chamber (2) is formed by the top section (3) of a mounting screw (29) with a threaded section screwed into a threaded hole in an end surface of the outer end of the shaft (3). 
     
     
       6. Drive device according to claim 5, wherein the mounting screw (29) has a shaft between the top section (30) and the threaded section with an unround cross section which is constant in the axial direction, said cross section passing through a correspondingly designed central opening (28) extending axially through the center section of the cover plate (17) to make a positive form-locking connection. 
     
     
       7. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the outer bearing means (14) is designed as a rolling bearing with lines of force (31) which converge axially inward at an angle toward the axis of the shaft (3). 
     
     
       8. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein at least one outer bearing means (14) is provided for radial and axial support on the lateral surface of the extension (8) of the pump cover (5) and wherein at least one inner bearing (10) is designed as a roller bearing with lines of force (25) converging axially inward at an angle toward the axis of the shaft (3) and wherein said adjusting means are formed by at least one compression spring (38, 45) acting between a shoulder surface (36) of the outer end of the shaft (3) facing away from the pump chamber (2) and a lateral surface (37) of the central section of the cover plate (17) facing toward the pump chamber (2). 
     
     
       9. Drive device according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one outer bearing means (14) is designed as a roller bearing with lines of force (34) converging axially outward at an angle toward the axis of the shaft (3). 
     
     
       10. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the outer bearing and the inner bearing are designed as roller bearings (57, 51) with at least one inner raceway (60 and 73, 80) and at least one outer raceway (53, 72, 79) for the rolling elements (50 and 52, 71, 78), where both the inner raceway(s) (60) of the outer roller bearing (57) and the outer raceway(s) (53, 72, 79) of the inner roller bearing (51) are machined directly into the lateral surfaces (56) and bore surface (9), respectively, of the tubular extension (8) of the pump cover (5). 
     
     
       11. Drive device according to claim 10, wherein at least one inner raceway (60) of the outer roller bearing (57) is designed as a groove, in which the associated rolling elements (52) engage to create a radial and axial guidance quality in this roller bearing (57). 
     
     
       12. Drive device according to claim 10, wherein at least one inner raceway (60) of the outer rolling bearing (57) has a certain axial distance from at least one outer raceway (53, 72, 79) of the inner roller bearing (51). 
     
     
       13. Drive device according to claim 12, wherein the extension (8) of the pump cover (5) has a collar stage (67) located between an inner raceway (60) of the outer roller bearing (57) and an outer raceway (53, 72) of the inner roller bearing (51). 
     
     
       14. Drive device according to claim 13, wherein the inner roller bearing (51) is mounted as a loose bearing which allows small axial movements of the shaft (3). 
     
     
       15. Drive device according to claim 14, wherein said cover plate (17) is connected to the outer end of the shaft (3) in such a manner that axial displacement in the outward direction is impossible, a compression spring being provided between the pump cover (5) and an end surface (70) of the pump impeller (1) opposite said cover to permit adjustment of the outer roller bearing (57) so that it has no play. 
     
     
       16. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the extension (8) of the pump cover (5) has an essentially uniform wall thickness. 
     
     
       17. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the extension (8) of the pump cover (5) is connected integrally at its inner end to a flange section (6) extending essentially in the radial direction. 
     
     
       18. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the shaft (3) and the pump impeller (1) are connected integrally together. 
     
     
       19. Drive device for pumps consisting of a pump impeller (1) mounted in a pump chamber (2), a pump cover (5) covering the pump chamber (2), having an extension (8) and a bore (9) passing from the pump chamber to the outside, and a shaft (3) connected at its inner end to the pump impeller and at its outer end in a torsion-proof manner by way of a coupling element to a drive wheel (4) and bearing means supporting said shaft and drive wheel in the housing bore and extension respectively, the coupling element being formed by an external edge (18) rigidly connected to the drive wheel (4) and covering the outer bearing means (14, 57) and the extension (8) laterally on the outside and a cover plate (17) with a center section connected in a torsion-proof manner to the shaft (3), and adjusting means (22, 26, 38, 45, 65) operable to elastically adjust the cover plate (17) relative to the pump cover (5) either inward toward the pump chamber (2) or outward away from the pump chamber (2), thereby providing means for automatic adjustment of the radial and axial loadsupporting bearing means (10, 14, 51; 57) to remove their play, said bearing means comprising at least one outer bearing means (14) on the lateral surface of the extension (8) of the pump cover (5) to support radial and axial loads and at least one inner bearing means (10) consisting of a rolling bearing with lines of force (33) which converge at an angle axially inward toward the axis of the shaft (3), said adjusting means being formed by thin, radial, elastically bendable tabs (26) of the cover plate (17) distributed uniformly around the circumference, and wherein the center section of the cover plate (17) is axially adjustable on the shaft (3) and presses elastically against a shoulder surface connected to the outer end of the shaft (3), which face the pump chamber (2).